Process of extracting metals from ores.



NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIDNEY TRIVIOK, OF CLAPHAM, ENGLAND.

PROCESS OF EXTRACTING METALS FROM ORE S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 723,787, dated March 24, 1903 Original application filed October 30,1899, Serial No. 785,276. Divided and this application filed June 16. 1902. Serial No. 111,991. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIDNEY TRIVICK, of No. 2 Lydon road, Clapham, in the county of Surrey,England, have invented a certain new and useful process whereby metals may be extracted from their ores by the gradual generation in the midst of the mass of the ore of the element chlorin in the nascent condition, so

' water the chemical reactions which occur will result in the production of a hypochlorite of the metal of the added saltin the presence of chlorid of that metal, these two substances tending to act on one another and produce a hydrate of the metal and liberate all the chlorin which is contained in each of them. The tendency of the hypochlorite and the chlorid to act on one another is comparatively feeble, except under the stimulating influence of substances which have anaffinity for chlorin. When clean surfaces of such substances are presented to the before-mentioned chlorin containing reagents, chlorin is liberated and in the nascent state will vigorously attack the metallic substances,whereasin the absence of those substances the generation of the chlorin is to a considerable extent held in abeyance, and consequently molecular chlorin gas will not be liable to be formed to any great extent. The water which is requisite for the operation maybe added to the metalliferous mass of the ore preparatory to the introduction of the two reagents, or it may be added with the metallic salt, or it maybe added after the chlorid of lime and the metallic salt have been intimatelyintermixed in the dry state with the ore The clean surfaces of metallic substances requisite to invite the attack of the chlorin and promote the chemical action above described are provided on the finelydivided particles in a metalliferous mass of ore which is maintained in motion. The generation of the chlorin is accompanied by the precipitation of a metallic hydrate, which is swept off the surface by the movement.

Ores containing metals which are not in a' condition to be susceptible to chlorination should undergoapreliminary r oastingor other process which will render-them amenable,

the final result desired being the extraction of the metals by rendering them solvent.

As a representative example of how my process can be carried into effect and the proportions of. the mixture which are requisite for this purpose, I will suppose that the con-- dition of the chlorid'of lime which is used is that of a good commercial quality, such as to.

contain an excess of calcium hydrate, the

chlorin present being thirty-five per cent. of.

the whole, the composition-being represented by the formula: I

The metallic salt used in the process I will suppose to be manganous chlorid of the commercial quality which isrepresented by MnCl 4H O. The first efiect of the mixing of these two substances in the presence of act on one another' and cause the formation of nascent chlorin, as previously described. For the complete reaction the relative quantities of chlorid of lime and manganous chlorid requisite Will be thirty-four and sixty-sixper cent. or one-third and two-thirds, res pec tively, one chemical unitof the former being Wanted for four units of the latter.

Unless there is sufficient manganous chlorid present, as above defined, both locally and in total chlorin gas Will be freely and rapidly evolved and be mostly wasted.

As an alternative to manganous chlorid one of many other metallic salts may be used. As an example of a salt which is not a chlorid I will select ferric sulfate and explain how by its intermixture with chlorid of lime in the presence of water a hypochlorite of the metal, together with a chlorid, are derived, which are able by contact with metallic substances to evolve nascent chlorin. In this case the first effect is an interchange of the iron and calcium, resulting in the formation of calcium sulfate and ferric chlorid, and thus the chlorid of the metal is provided. Ferric hydrate and monoxid of chlorin are also produced, which together form ferric hypochlorite. This latter and the ferric chlorid are then readyto evolve nascent chlorin when brought into contact with metallic or other substances which have an affinity for chlorin.

Supposing the composition of the chlorid of lime to be as before defined and that the composition of the ferric sulfate may be represented by Fe (SO the percentage proportions of the former to the latter requisite to complete the reaction will be forty-seven to fifty-three, inasmuch as three chemical units of chlorid of lime will be required per four units of ferric sulfate.

I claim 1. A process for evolving nascent chlorin and effecting the chlorination of metallic substances in order that they may be extracted from a metalliferous mass by rendering them solvent consisting in adding to the mass a mixture in definite proportions of two substances, one being dry chlorid of lime and the other a metallic salt, the proportions being such as to result in the formation of a hypochlorite of the metal of the added salt and a chlorid of that metal which will evolve nascent chlorin.

t 2. A process for evolving nascent chlorin and effecting the chlorination of metallic substances in order that they may be extracted from a metalliferous mass by rendering them solvent consisting in adding to the mass a mixture in definite proportions of two substances, one being dry chlorid of lime and the other a ferric salt, the proportions being such as to result in the formation of ferric hypochlorite and ferric chlorid which will evolve nascent chlorin.

3. A process for evolving nascent chlorin and effecting the chlorination of metallic substances in order that they may be extracted from a metalliferous mass by rendering them solvent consisting in adding to the mass a mixture in definite proportions of two substances, one being dry chlorid of lime and the other ferric sulfate, the proportions being such as to result in the formation of ferric hypochlorite and ferric chlorid which will evolve nascent chlorin.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

, SIDNEY TRIVICK.

Witnesses:

Ron'r. A. BLAKE, WALTER J. SKERTEN. 

